LENTEN DEVOTION POSTLUDE

O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. (Psalm 104:24)

This year, I turned 70. (My daughters say I turned 12 -- a cute, loving-daughter-way of saying I'm incredibly immature). I don't mind being 70 at all. A few years have many advantages.

The biggest advantage is that I notice and appreciate things I never had time to notice and appreciate before. I notice that the earth is full of God's creatures. Up north, I see all kinds of wild life. A few days ago, I saw a fox in our Bloomfield neighborhood. That fox, and a deer in my backyard, made my week.

I also notice that God went way beyond creatures. Every morning, I notice what a beautiful day we've been given. Rainy? Excellent! Rain makes beautiful plants grow. Snowy? Terrific! The rivers and lakes need water. Clouds? Wow, they can be so beautiful. Sun? Is there anyone who doesn't love sun?

Have you ever noticed green? Look at green. One green would have been fantastic. But God made zillions of beautiful greens.

Tomato plants we never planted come up in our yard. Thanks, birds. Vultures clean up animals that die. Fawns come with camouflage. Trout have homes in the river. Great planning!

I have a choir and a church full of people I love. I have Sue. I have wonderful daughters, wonderful sons-in-law, wonderful grandchildren.

You know what all of that does for me? It makes me a happy, joyful person.

In one of my meetings, a friend said, "To you, the glass is always half full." I was terribly disappointed. To me, a half-full glass is at least three-quarters full -- probably overflowing -- because I notice what God has done and is still doing in my world. What blessings! And I know tomorrow will be even better than today.

Please, Lord, help those who may be younger and not as observant, or as appreciative, recognize that your works and blessings are indeed manifold. That simple realization can make so many lives so much happier. Amen.

Hal Bay

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IN MY HEART
by John Feeney

When asked again, to write a devotion,
Of the theme, I hadn't a notion.

The Postons offered, "What's in your heart,"
With that, I had, a warm, friendly start!

An important ingredient, is certainly love,
But there's also the spirit, which comes from above.

What is this spirit? And is it from God?
I'm really quite certain, He gets the nod.

Who receives this spirit? Do you think you know?
Permit me to suggest, a place you must go.

It has a new sanctuary, and new places to sit,
For Holly and me, it's a perfect fit!

A brand new pastor, is on the way,
I hope those who visit, will decide to stay.

A new organ is coming, and photo directory, too,
These will warm the hearts, of you, you, and you!

First Presbyterian Church Birmingham, is "In My Heart,"
Because in my life, it plays such a very big part.

LENTEN DEVOTION FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 23

Why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for? (John 20:15)

In one of the most tender scenes in the gospels, Mary comes upon the resurrected Jesus and doesn't know at first who he is. Weeping in grief for the loss of her friend and teacher, she wanders the garden, lost in her sorrow. Even when the resurrected Jesus stands before her, she doesn't know him.

It may be that resurrection so transforms us that we aren't recognizable to the people who know us best, but I suspect not. In my hospice work, I was amazed at how many dying people saw loved ones who had died months or years before, right in the room with them as the time of death came near. Their presence was as clear and real as mine, perhaps even more real. The presence of loved ones made passing from this life to the next more bearable - it felt as if the loved ones had come to help them move to the life that comes next for all of us. Surely resurrection leaves us who we are, but even more fully.

It's grief that transforms us more than resurrection, and alters our ability to see. Like Mary, we get lost in the grip of sorrow, and understandably can't see anything else. Lost in our grief, we miss the glimpse of hope.

We have ample reasons to weep, and our grief is real, but we also find the one for whom we have been looking right here in our midst. Why are we weeping? We have good reasons, in our own lives and in looking at the world around us, but the one we're looking for is here with us, whenever we have the heart and eyes to recognize him.

The coming of Easter calls us to see again the spirit of Christ in our lives. Easter holds up hope next to loss, adds possibility to sorrow, leavens our tears with love, which we know is alive in our midst.

Dear God, help us to open our hearts and eyes to encounter you in every face of your creation. We ask this in the name of your Son, whose death and resurrection are the final proof of the extent of your love. Amen.

Mary Austin